A Flower Blooming in Snow
by KanesRedemption
Summary: Thorn is determined to find her mother at all costs, no matter what consequences are to follow from her actions.


**New story time since this was inspired by a story I read (If you're reading this you know exactly who you are). Enjoy! Added some more details and changed some parts so hopefully much better  
**

"P-please, why are you doing this?"

The councilwoman slowly crawled away, her blood staining her tattered clothing and the floor beneath her. The corpses of her guards were scattered across the room, their faces contorted in horror with their hands clutching the grievous wounds.

Her red-clad assailant stayed silent, choosing to fling any extra blood off of her knife and around the room.

"Is it money you want? Power? I can give you both!"

"Your plans for this city are a challenge to who I serve and therefore you must be silenced."

"Wait please-"

The cry was cut short as the blade was driven into the woman's heart. A final small gasp of breath escaping her throat before falling limp.

The figure opened her scroll and opened a communication line to her master.

"Mistress, the task is done. Auburn lives no more."

"Excellent work Thorn. Return to me at once, I will brief you on the details after your report."

"As you wish my lady."

Thorn sighed to herself and opened the locked pendant around her neck. She gently slid her hand across the image and closed it, hiding the pendant once more beneath her attire.

Thorn glanced out the window.

"Where are you, mom?"

Thorn let out a shaky breath, she hadn't seen her mother in ten years. Thorn couldn't recall most of her memories with her mother, but she knew that they were warm memories of a time long gone.

Thorn rummaged through the desk of the late councilwoman but found nothing important to help their cause. She then noticed a picture frame on the desk that seemed out of place and tugged the frame towards herself but with no avail. Only pushing the frame made a clicking noise, but no secret was to be found.

Thorn continued her ransacking of the room, but her search was unsuccessful. Why have all these secrets if there was nothing here?

Thorn's train of thought was interrupted by screaming sirens. Cursing under her breath, she realized that all of the secret compartments and lever were just a delay tactic. Nothing was found among all of this. Thorn thought of the options she had left. Jumping out of the window from the fifth story was suicidal. And trying to barrel through the line of officers would get her arrested and then murdered by her boss, the Mistress. she could not afford to let anyone discover what her group was. That left her with only one option, climbing out of the window and onto the roof.

Without any hesitation, Thorn was already out of the window and climbed her way to the roof.

"There she is!"

The officers standing outside turned their heads to where Thorn was spotted.

"This is the police, we have you surrounded. Surrender now and you will not be harmed. You have a minute to comply or else we'll open fire."

"Well I didn't expect that..." muttered Thorn to herself.

It was unusual for the police fire that fast. Maybe this councilwoman's appearance didn't portray everything about her?

The moment Thorn set foot onto the roof, she felt something hot graze her cheek followed by warmth trickling down to her chin.

Thorn sprinted across the roof and leapt onto the next building while dodging bullets. Several bullets managed to hit their mark, causing Thorn to cry out in pain and stumble onto the brick. To avoid face planting onto the brick roof, Thorn rolled but hissed in pain as she fell off the roof. She landed hard on her back against the cold grass, causing her to black out for a moment.

In her unconscious state, she heard muffled footsteps and shouts of the officers honing in on her.

Thorn gritted her teeth, this was going to hurt. Her vision turned into a blur as buildings faded in and out of her sight. The officers came around the only to find the girl missing and rose petals in her place.

(LINE BREAK HERE)  
A lone figure stalked the hallways, summoned by the master. The figure rapped their knuckles on a door. The figure's eyes shifted from curtain to curtain, at least where the figure thought they would be. Despite the torches lining the wall, an unknown force was keeping the corridor in the darkness. The figure could feel the eyes of assassins lurking about but could never locate them. The only indication that the assassins were there was their quiet breathing.

"You asked to see me, Mistress?" The figure asked nervously.

"Come in Spark."

Gently pushing the door open, Spark stepped into the office of the Mistress.

"Sit down."

After closing the door, Spark took a seat across from the desk.

"Tell me Spark, what do you think of Thorn?"

"I do not think we can trust her Mistress."

"And why do you think this?"

The Mistress raised an eyebrow at Spark.

"She is still a child, children can be easily swayed to believe anything."

"My dear little spark, as long as we say we'll help find her mother. Thorn will obey loyally."

"What if she finds out that we have her? Won't she rebel?"

The Mistress opened a drawer on a desk and removed a fake piece of food in the corner of the drawer. She pushed a button to open a hidden room behind her. The door let out a soft hiss and lifted up to reveal the girl's mother. Her body hung limp in the bonds restraining her. The Mistress smirked evilly at the girl before turning to Spark and gesturing to the limp woman.

"She won't ever find out."

With Spark following the Mistress, they left the Mistress' office and entered another room. The Mistress was already seated at the head of the table when Thorn entered the room.

"Thorn, report."

Thorn bowed her head.

"There was little resistance in assassinating Auburn. She had nothing incriminating on her but her room was full of empty secrets long enough for intruders to be captured. In my attempt to escape, I was severely injured. However, I believe the councilwoman is hiding something.

"Was your face seen?"

"No my lady."

"Little resistance?" The Mistress cast a glare towards Thorn.

"She tried to run my lady."

"I see. I will investigate more into the council-woman. Now, onto your next assignment."

The Mistress slid three folders down towards Thorn.

"These are your next targets."

Thorn opened the folders to discover files of the three Schnee siblings tucked inside.

"The Siblings are to be brought in alive."

Thorn looked up from the files.

"Alive?"

"Yes, in order for Mr. Schnee to give up his control over the Faunus he has enslaved we must trade his children for them."

"I understand my lady."

"That is all then Thorn. Get yourself cleaned up."

The Mistress pushed herself away from the table and leaned into Sparks' ear.

"A question if I may ask you."

The Mistress turned her attention once more to Thorn.

"Proceed."

"If the children resist, should they be pursued for capture?"

"Yes, do whatever you need to do to ensure they're brought in alive."

Thorn nodded and left the room. Upon the door being closed, The Mistress turned to Spark once more.

"Spark, follow her. This mission cannot be allowed to fail."

Spark bowed in understanding.

"If she does fail?"

The Mistresses' eyes glowed then died down.

"If she fails in her objective, you have my permission to kill her. Under no circumstances can we afford anyone to discover our group. Bring your pets with you if you must."

The Mistress returned to her office, leaving Spark to her own devices.

Spark opened a channel to her two subordinates.

"Meet me at the safe house, we have some plans to discuss."

"Right away." Both the voices said.

Spark called for a taxi to the downtown area deciding not to risk what she called the "movie villain car". Tinted back and front windows made the car a little too suspicious for her liking.

"Where will it be, ma'am?"

"Roman, where's your pet?"

"Who knows? Neo doesn't really tell me anything."

Roman puffed the cigar smoke out of the window.

"She's no pet of mine, Sparky, she's my co-conspirator."

Spark felt the veins in her head throbbing. Why the Mistress kept the rat was beyond her knowledge. Spark resisted the urge to strangle the man.

"Downtown Mall."

Driving this woman crazy was one of Roman's Talents

"Whatever you say, Sparky."

"If the Mistress didn't need you around, I would've strangled you on the spot

"But she does, so now you're stuck with me."

"Just get going."

The ride to the hideout was quiet since Spark was lost in her planning process of coming up with a backup in case; at the same time, she was calmy resisting the urge to strangle Roman.

Stepping out into the quiet streets, Spark looked up to the pristine exterior of the hideout then began the walk inside.

As she walked along the corridor, Spark paid little attention to her surroundings.

Upon opening the door, she was greeted by her henchmen and dove right into planning. Maps and charts were unfurled, marked accordingly for each different person of interest.

The prospect of chaos and havoc caused by the two henchmen excited them further.

"I will be leaving to assist Thorn, you two gather what you need to execute your parts."

"As you wish." They both said simultaneously.

Spark was left alone in the room after the two henchmen left.

"Now where is the little Thorn." 

* * *

Thorn gazed at the massive SDC building before her. The sun's rays reflected off the blinding white surface of the building, causing Thorn to shield her face with her arm as an attempt to block the sun.

"Love showing off their wealth." Thorn grumbled.

Entering the building, Thorn could feel the refreshing cool air taking the heat off of her skin. The inside was exactly what Thorn expected it to be, flashy like the outside with facilities being top of the line. A few people waited in the lobby, they were busy doing their own things, some checking their watches. Thorn concluded they were waiting for someone or something.

Thorn walked to the receptionist typing away on his keyboard. Without even taking his eyes off the monitor, the man asked if she had an appointment.

Thorn responded by saying she did not have one and was asked to leave.

Was the SDC really this picky with people? Thorn knew the SDC was a prime target for criminals, specifically those sympathetic to the Faunus cause.

"Sir, is there any way I could possibly see any of the Schnee siblings?"

The man stopped typing and looked up at Thorn, his eyes full of irritation

"I already told you, you can't get in without an appointment. Now leave before I call security."

"Please, sir it's important."

"I told you to leave already, now scram!"

"I won't be long."

The man reached for the phone and Thorn tensed up.

"What is going on here?"

The man looked past Thorn, his hand on the phone just as Winter Schnee walked into the building with bodyguards trailing behind her.

Removing his hand form the phone, the man shifted his focus on Winter.

"Ms. Schnee. I was just telling this person to leave."

The man looked down at Thorn.

"And what does she want?"

"She just wishes to see the Schnee siblings, ma'am."

"I see."

Thorn felt the cold eyes of Winter focus on her. She would have been intimidated had she not been working for someone scarier than Winter. Though Winter might possibly give the Mistress a good run.

"I will take care of this."

"Yes, Ms. Schnee."

Winter gestured to her bodyguards, they each took a side of Thorn and carried her to the door and threw her out.

Thorn cursed at the guards as they walked back inside. After sitting on the sidewalk for a few seconds, she dusted herself off and stomped away. Gathering any information on the siblings was going to be a lot harder than Thorn initially thought. Little did Thorn know that two Amber eyes watched the shadow of an alley nearby.

"Couldn't get anywhere close to them. I knew we couldn't trust that runt."

Spark opened her scroll to contact The Mistress.

"Mistress, Thorn was thrown out of the Schnee Dust Company building before even contacting any of the siblings."

The Mistress went silent for a brief moment.

"Keep track of her, if she fails like this again, you know what needs to be done."

"I understand Mistress."

Closing her scroll, Spark wickedly grinned to herself. She contacted her henchmen to alert them of Thorn's failure. It was time to put her plan into motion.

(LINE BREAK HERE)

The Mistress sighed to herself. How did her best assassin get foiled so easily?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar buzzing of her scroll. It was Thorn.

"Thorn report."

"Mistress, I had difficulty entering the building, but I managed to come into contact with Winter Schnee. Gathering any information on her or the building will be very difficult.

Spark is jumping to conclusions, mused the Mistress to herself.

"Good work. My faith in you still holds strong.

"I live to serve my lady."

The Mistress ended the call. Spark was a loyal dog, but too much loyalty was bad for her organization. Spark needed to be punished for her lies.

The Mistress called Spark again, and the confident voice of her servant answered, the voice of a servant that would soon fall

"Mistress, what do you need of me?"

"You know very well what I want. I will not have you lie to me again."

"I-I don't understand my lady I-"

"Do not play dumb with me, child. Thorn did not fail in her mission, she made contact with Winter Schnee and will do so again."

"What- but I saw her thrown out-"

"By those who serve her yes."

Spark silently adjusted to the new information.

"I understand my lady. Forgive me, I will not fail again."

Spark hung up the call, leaving the Mistress alone to her thoughts. However, the Mistress began to question, did she really make the right choice for second in command? 

**Pretty happy with how this turned out. Going to try to pack this story with plenty of feels.  
**


End file.
